


To Meet Again

by Jen425



Series: Influences [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, Complicated Relationships, F/M, M/M, Multi, My poor babies, even though it would probably hurt in the Suit, kids are cute, save them please
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-07 07:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14666265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425
Summary: A reunion.





	To Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

> I really am sorry, but MY POOR BABY DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO USE HIS WORDS.

Anakin stops. He stares. He can’t move, and he’s very sure that the only reason he hasn’t stopped breathing is the suit. Finally free of Sidious, and, yet, he’s still trapped here, in the suit. And as Emperor.

 

Well, they’d never really been divorced, had they? Padme will be a wonderful Empress, as they rebuild the Republic.

 

If she says yes.

 

Anakin doesn’t know if he can move, if he can blink. All he can do is stare.

 

His children and his loves and his droids. His family.

 

He doesn’t deserve them.

 

He can feel it, pouring off of them in waves, and anguish that he had caused. He hates himself for making them hurt, Luke and Leia hanging off their arms, so small.

 

Luke looks like Deak.

 

“Hi,” Anakin says awkwardly, the word sounding odd in Vader’s voice.

 

No response.

 

Suddenly, he hears a tiny sigh.

 

“Really,” Leia says, stomping up to him, and, yes, she’s definitely theirs. The only one who’d ever tried to ignore emotions was Obi-Wan. And this was definitely and utterly nonsensically Satine, even if their fourth had been long-dead when Leia was born.

 

(A year, about. One year and 32 days to be precise. He’d already been so unhinged, around then, with the first anniversary of her death. It doesn’t excuse his actions, not at all, but he can at least vaguely understand his reasoning now, years later.

 

He wishes he could forgive himself.

 

He knows he doesn’t deserve to.

 

Already, there are too many who have found ways to forgive his actions, to find Anakin Skywalker the hero in Darth Vader the monster… even underneath Vader, Anakin is nothing like the man from the Clone Wars.)

 

“You,” Leia continues, one hand on her hip and the other pointed up at him, “Why are you making Mommy and Father sad?”

 

Honestly, she’s definitely theirs, definitely his.

 

Luke runs up behind her, grabbing her arm, his face obviously saying “don’t anger the really tall and Dark guy even if he did say hi awkwardly to our parents like he knows them”. It’s honestly just so Obi-Wan, who was basically all of their impulse control.

 

“Are you sure he’s not Obi-Wan’s?” he blurts out, “Like, biologically?”

 

And, honestly, he sounds more like himself than he has in a long time.

 

He’s missed himself.

 

But, well, it must be an icebreaker because now Padme’s shaking her head, and Obi-Wan is laughing hysterically. Keeping his eyes on Obi-Wan and Padme because he would back away  _ immediately  _ if they tried to stop him, but…

 

Slowly and carefully, he makes his way closer to his son and his daughter, who he can tell looks like Padme even through the redscale of his mask. He kneels down to be at just about their height.

 

“Well,” he says, “That’s because I’m your father, too, and your mommy and father haven’t seen me in a very long time.”

 

Luke smiles sweetly and gives a shy wave.

 

“Hi, Father,” he says, but Leia still looks upset. She walks closer to him, and, very calmly, pokes him in the eye area of the mask.

 

“You don’t look like Mommy described you,” she says before pulling him into a hug, “But you’ll do.”

 

Unsure what to do, Anakin smiles, glad the younglings have been in his life and he knows how to hug a child with the terrible mech arm Sidious gave him and simultaneously without crushing them. He can’t wait to get the prosthetics he’d made properly attached instead of these cheap, karky ones Sidious had put on him. That and his lungs. He hates the mask.

 

Eventually, though, he lets go, and so does Leia, Luke smiles, and darts in for a quick hug before running back to Obi-Wan. His Master smiles at him, then, as Anakin gets back up in his practiced, fluid motion.

 

(Kneeling, over and over, for Sidious, every time a terrible reminder of his actions of his place.)

 

“Don’t worry,” Obi-Wan says, “He did that to Padme, too.”

 

Anakin sighs.

 

“Well, an angel is hardly comparable to a monster.”

 

“Anakin…”

 

“Obi-Wan, you were there!” Anakin all but yells… but, sensing all of their fears (because strong emotions still leave him drenched in the Dark despite his efforts, and he doubts that he can ever be truly free from its influence). He quiets himself.

 

“You were there,” he says as softly as the suit allows, “And you saw every body not downed by a blaster… and you have no idea what Sidious has made me do since.”

 

Obi-Wan looks like he wants to say something, but, right before he does, he looks at Luke, and he sighs.

 

“We  _ will _ talk about this, later,” Obi-Wan says, “When the three of us are alone.”

 

Anakin nods, and he can  _ feel _ himself slipping into the Vader persona.

 

“Very well,” he says, “I will show to your quarters. You will all be staying in the imperial suite as I cannot use them in this suit.”

 

And, with his broken and empty tear ducts firing and his cape flaring around him, he turns around, gesturing harshly for them to follow.

 

It seems that this is all he can get.

 

( _ “Anakin _ … _ ” _ he hears faintly across his broken bond with his former Master and husband. He ignores it. If his pain is ever compared with his actions, he’ll still be found wanting in punishment.)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy ending? Absolutely. Angst? My specialty.
> 
> Find me on tumblr [@flaim-ita](https://flaim-ita.tumblr.com/)


End file.
